Hang tight!
"Crispy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, aromatic, and awesome! You know I'm a fan of the hyperbole, but it's with all sincerity that I say, this may be the greatest caramel popcorn-related snack breakthrough since balls." — Chef John
Watch video tips and tricks
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup unpopped popcorn
1 cup chopped dry-roasted, salted peanuts
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Thai chile paste) or plain hot sauce
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
I made a double batch of this yummiest today. So good and so different. I was really excited to try this and was very happy with the results. I must say I did make 1 change because, unlike Chef John, I am a crazy person. Watch the video if you don't know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I used organic brown rice syrup instead of the corn syrup. It worked beautifully. I did also leave it in the oven for 1 hour also. I felt that it wasn't crusty enough after 40 min. It turned out better then I thought. I have made a number of Chef John's recipes and I have yet to be disappointed, in fact I think I am starting to have a crush on him. He knows good food! Oh I should add that if you keep your unpopped corn in the freezer you will get almost no unpopped kernels while cooking your corn. You can get bulk organic popcorn at any whole foods or health food store for about $ 1.00 a lb. Make this recipe you won't be disappointed.
I saw this recipe on the Allrecipes channel on Roku and knew I had to try it. WOW!! It's wonderful! The previous reviewer mentioned that it was too spicy, but I think the heat level is really just a matter of preference as I found it to be perfect. I didn't top with cilantro because I wasn't sure how well the fresh cilantro would store on the popcorn, but it was still just absolutely fantastic. My 6 year-old did complain that it made the house smell like wet dog while it was cooking, and she has a point, but I promise- it's well worth the fish sauce-y smell while it's in the oven!
10 Ratings
I made this for a potluck, and most people liked it but I put a bit too much "heat" in it for some. This was fun to make and fairly simple. Plus, it definitely tastes like Pad Thai. I had always wanted to make a type of caramel corn, so this recipe was easy-to-follow and basically no fail. All said, I will probably make it again some time in the future.
1st bite: weird. 2nd bite: not too bad. 3rd bite: sorta spicy huh? 4th bite: what great flavor. 5th bite: this stuff is good. 6th bite: OMG I can't stop eating it. 7th bite: Mine! All Mine! 8th to 100th bite: I love Chef John!
Crazy good! Didn't change a thing.
I just made 3 batches of this popcorn. It's so good; spicy, sweet, savory. I followed exactly...very simple. Hardest part for me is popping the corn! I used parchment paper and clean up was easy. The fresh cilantro adds a wonderful fresh flavor and looks great.
Yum! My only complaint is that I didn't make a double batch! Sweet, spicy, tangy....I'm hooked.
Started to make this and remembered I was out of canola so...I used coconut oil in the sauce. Used half a cup of popcorn and would go heaping next time, there was enough sauce to cover. Since there was a hot element to this I used hot chili oil to pop the corn. Even with that and a full T of Sricacha I would have liked more heat. Added cilantro to each serving instead of the whole batch for ease in storing leftovers.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Pad Thai Popcorn
Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe Servings Per Recipe: 8 Amount Per Serving Calories: 286 Calories from Fat: 150
See how to make this sensational, sweet and spicy snack!
See how to make a kicking Thai-inspired marinade for grilled shrimp.
See how to make a simple no-cook peanut sauce.
